We had the most joyous and wonderful afternoon we’ve had since our movie theater closed more than a year ago, and a very wonderful and authentic Mexican restaurant nearby closed along with it.

Both re-opened today. We love this theater; for $125 a year, you can see any movie you wish for $5 a person. We saw Nomadland again, the movie and the performance by Frances McDorman was brilliant all around, one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

This was the second time for me; I wouldn’t mind seeing it again. Afterward, we walked down the street to our favorite Mexican restaurant for the first time in more than a year.

We had a wonderful meal.

The afternoon made both of us realize just how much the pandemic changed our lives and for how long. We didn’t get sick, lose all of our income or die. We were lucky.

But we did give up many of the things that grounded and shaped our lives. I couldn’t go to the Mansion or Bishop Maginn, we couldn’t have dinner with friends, I couldn’t see my granddaughter, we couldn’t go to the movies, which we faithfully and lovingly do, and we couldn’t eat out, which we often do and love to do.

We both live and work in a small but wonderful farmhouse, and getting out regularly together is important for our mental and physical health.

We loved this after; it really reminded us how much we love seeing movies on a big screen and how important that is.

The holiday is also important to me, the grandchild of people who fled their homeland and owe their lives to America. So many people gave their lives so they could be free and we could be free in a democracy.

I see the fight for democracy never really ends.

As the future of our democracy comes into question, this holiday has more and more value to me. I want to celebrate with more than a movie and a good meal.

I wish all of you a good and meaningful holiday.